Brazilian micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis)

Overview

Brazilian micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) is a small plant with narrow, cylindrical leaves that widen slightly at the tip, forming a deep green lawn about 2 inches tall. It comes from South America (Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay), where it grows on damp shorelines and in shallow water.

Hobbyists love its natural grassy look and the fact that it is tougher than many trendy carpeting plants: it copes well without CO2, though it grows slowly in return. It fits nature-style aquascapes as well as community tanks with an open foreground, and it is a good choice for patient hobbyists.

Care and tank setup

Micro sword adapts to many tanks, but to fill in as a lawn it needs medium light, substrate nutrients and time.

• Light: medium. In low light it grows very slowly and the leaves stretch.
• CO2: optional. It improves speed and density but isn't essential.
• Substrate: fine (sand, small gravel or aqua soil). Add root tabs to inert substrates.
• Planting: split the pot into small clumps and plant them about 1 inch apart without burying the base too deep.
• Placement: a bright foreground, between rocks or in front of driftwood.

Algae on the leaves is its most common problem, since it grows slowly and older leaves collect gunk. Keep the tank cycled, with good flow and balanced nutrients. In the wild it even tolerates slightly brackish water, a sign of how hardy it is.

Fertilizing and trimming

It prefers root tabs every 2-3 months plus a moderate liquid fertilizer; too many nutrients in the water feed algae before the plant. It barely needs trimming: remove old or algae-covered leaves by cutting them at the base. If the lawn gets tall, you can trim it with scissors, but thinning out old clumps to encourage new growth works better.

Propagation

It spreads by runners that travel under the substrate and send up new leaf clusters an inch or so away. Progress is slow at first, but once established it gradually closes the gaps. To propagate it, separate rooted clumps and replant them. It also grows very well emersed, so it suits the dry start method.

Recommended equipment

What you need to keep the Brazilian micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) healthy, checked against Amazon stock.